NOUS OF CARDS
Fabio knows smartest move is to stay at Ibrox and fight for Gers place
Fabio Cardoso won’t forget 2017 in a hurry.
At 23, he moved from Portugal for the first time in his career to sign for Rangers. But after a ropey start at Ibrox, his nose was smashed by Motherwell striker Ryan Bowman as the club crashed out of the Betfred Cup. After that Pedro Caixinha, the guy who signed him, was f ired and the defender has struggled to get back in the team under Graeme Murty. Cardoso was with the Gers touring side in America last week that visited Universal Studios in Florida. And that was fitting as it has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions since he arrived from Vitoria Setubal. With a few of Caixinha’s other buys such as Carlos Pena now surplus to requirements at Ibr ox, it would be easy for Cardoso to throw in the towel. But the kid ’s having none of it. The centre-back loves life in Scotland and has no interest in a return to the Portugal’s sunshine. He is adamant he won’t give up and plans to use the start of 2018 to get back into Murty’s plans. Cardoso insisted: “I’m still a young player. I’m learning and have to be patient. “I don’t want to give up. I could try to find another team but playing for Rangers is going to help me a lot in my career. “I’m learning a lot even when I’m not playing. This is the right place to develop as a footballer, as a person and to be successful.
“I’m ready to give my best every day in training and when I get my chance in the team.
“Of course, it’s frustrating not to be in the team but I respect the decision of the manager. “In the last game, Danny Wilson and David Bates played very well. “If the manager took me out with no reason, I wouldn’t be happy. But I understand his decision and respect my team-mates. “We’re in this together. Things change and I have to be ready when I get my chance. “I’m willing to fight for my place in this team. If we do that and try our best, the whole team will improve. “I’m enjoying working with the new manager. He talks to you face to face, never hides or plays games. “We’re getting better and every day we’re play ing more like he wants us to play. It’s going to be a big second half of the season because I want to get back in the team.” The pictures of Cardoso’s broken nose after that Hampden semi-final shocked Scottish football. He was angry at the time – but more because Caixinha’s side had been beaten by the Steelmen. He said: “The injury was a setback and I felt bad because it wasn’t my fault. It wasn’ t a muscular injury or a normal thing in football. So I was angry and it was a difficult time. “I wasn’t angry just because of the injury – it was because we were out of the Cup and we’d wanted to win it. “But that belongs in the past and we’re concentrating on the future.
“We’ll do all we can now to win every game and put pressure on the t e am i n first position .
“Our recent draw with Celtic will give everyone a lift – we should have won, we played better than them but missed too many chances. “It shows this team is improving.” Cardoso and his girlfriend are settled in Glasgow. Even seeing snow for the first time in his life made him happy and he wants to be at Rangers for the long-term.
He said: “I enjoy life in Scotland. I’ve never felt support from fans like I do here, it’s amazing.
“The support we get is unbelievable. They’re so passionate and we have to do more for them on the pitch. “In Portugal I went to play against Porto and Benfica, big clubs. “They have a lot of supporters but our fans are different. Even when we play away, I feel like we’re at home. “Last week in America, very far from home, we had more fans than clubs from Brazil, which is closer. “I want to be here for along time. Me and my girlfriend love the place. Even the cold weather doesn’t bother us. “I had never seen snow before. We’ve seen it for the first time in Glasgow and it’s very nice.”
I’m still a young player, I’m learning and have to be patient. This is the right place for me to develop as a player and a person